Modeling the evaporation of a hydrocarbon feedstock in the convection section of a steam cracker

• Published in: Computers & chemical engineering Vol. 33; no. 1; pp. 122 - 132
• Main Authors: De Schepper, Sandra C.K., Heynderickx, Geraldine J., Marin, Guy B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-01-2009
• Subjects: CFD; Flow boiling; Numerical simulation; PLIC; Two-phase flow; VOF; CFD; Numerical simulation; Flow boiling; PLIC; VOF; Two-phase flow
• ISSN: 0098-1354; 1873-4375
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compchemeng.2008.07.013

A model has been developed allowing to simulate the flow boiling process of a hydrocarbon feedstock. For the calculation of the different horizontal two-phase flow regimes that evolve during flow boiling, use is made of the Volume Of Fluid (VOF) model that uses a Piecewise Linear Interface Calculation (PLIC) method to reconstruct the interface between both phases in each computational cell. In-house developed codes calculate the mass and energy transfer phenomena occurring during this flow boiling process. As such, an existing CFD code is completed with a newly developed complete evaporation model.
The developed model is used to simulate the flow boiling process of a hydrocarbon feedstock in the tubes of a convection section heat exchanger of a steam cracker. The simulation results show a succession of horizontal two-phase flow regimes in agreement with the literature.